English students focus on developing their written, oral, and critical
thinking skills through a variety of project based tasks. In most
courses, students select an overarching question that helps guide their inquiry
process and allows them to continually reflect on and improve their ideas.
They learn to gather, analyze, and synthesize information from a variety
of sources to form opinions and ask questions. Book Clubs make up a key component
in this inquiry process. We believe in engaging students in reading by
placing an importance on modern texts that are representative of a variety of
cultures, beliefs, and experiences. Students will get to select from 5-8
novels so they can guarantee they will get to read something they will enjoy.
During the Book Club process, students learn to have deep conversations
about relevant and critical issues, which they will apply to their topic of
inquiry. Students reflect on their skills and abilities and make plans
for improvement throughout their courses. This is exemplified in the
major writing task in which they show their improvement by re-submitting their
essay after considering information collected from new texts and in-class
experiences. Part of this reflection is also focused on the 6 Cs (Character,
Community, Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Communication, and
Creativity). Students in 1D will
complete a unique and immersive media assignment in which they simulate being
hired by a company to fix their advertisements. They will also have opportunities
to explore their interests and passions while finding cross-curricular
connections in their learning. They will expand their knowledge and unleash
their creativity with Genius Hour, in which students get to choose what they
research and what they create. English classrooms have a variety of
physical space arrangements, some of which contain whiteboard surfaces so that
students can write ideas directly on the desk. They often sit and work
together in groups to see the value of collaboration.
Our Department:
Bob Guse (Department Head)
Alicia Pascual (Assistant Head)
Kimberley Cumming
Samantha Elliot
Leianne Hamilton
Helen Hererra
Mark Pascual
Rodeza Puno
Meg Ryan'
Stephanie Williams